1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photonic-crystal plate that forms an optical waveguide and an optical device assembly using the same, and more particularly, to a vertical-type photonic-crystal waveguide and an optical device assembly configured to be easily integrated with surface-emitting light source devices and surface-receiving light detector devices.
The present invention has been produced from the work supported by the IT R&D program of MIC (Ministry of Information and Communication)/IITA (Institute for Information Technology Advancement) [200-S-051-02, Photonic device integrated module for optical access network] in Korea.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As light sources applicable to optical communication, surface-emitting laser devices have attracted attention because of their advantages of easy high integration, low power consumption, and low cost. A light source and light detector combination module capable of transmitting a signal from one point to a distant point and receiving a signal from a distant point is increasingly required for optical communications. In optical communication, an optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) has attracted attention as a device for reading information from a selected specific wavelength of transmitted light and transmitting a specific wavelength carrying information through the waveguide.
Further, optical fiber devices with photonic crystal are being actively studied, and photonic crystal devices applied to a semiconductor substrate are being introduced [References 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6]. Application of Optical fiber waveguides with photonic crystals to high-output fiber light sources is being attempted because of their very large space mode [References 1 and 6].
Optical couplers are being actively studied by applying multiple cores to a photonic crystal fiber [References 2 and 5]. As an optical communication device, a high-density OADM device obtained by applying a photonic crystal structure to a semiconductor substrate has been disclosed, and a very small integrated device has been obtained from a conventional OADM device [Reference 3]. Also, researchers are currently seeking to obtain a light source by applying a photonic crystal structure to a semiconductor substrate [Reference 4].
However, the above conventional optical devices with the photonic crystal do not comprise optical coupling devices associated with surface-emitting light sources and surface-receiving light detectors. Accordingly, use of conventional photonic crystal techniques does not provide high integration of a device in which a plurality of optical devices are integrated.
In particular, surface-emitting light source devices and surface-receiving light detector devices that can be mounted on a substrate with ease and with high integration do not have a structure adopting photonic crystal techniques so far.